With salary caps set at $10 million and $13 million across the SuperCoach and AFL Fantasy platforms respectively, filling every position with a premium player is simply not possible.
In order to field a team that both keeps you under the cap and allows you to be competitive, selecting a smattering of rookies is essential.
Obviously, these young names won't make up the bulk of your weekly totals, but should you select the right ones early, your bottom line and your win/loss column will look healthy.
Although we don't know whether any of these names will break through the banner in round one just yet, their pre-season track work has piqued our interest.
These are each club's rated rookies that look primed for early debuts.
Melbourne
Jake Bowey (MID/FWD)
SuperCoach price - $117,300
AFL Fantasy price - $230,000
With Kysaiah Pickett on indefinite leave from the Demons due to family reasons, a position for livewire Jake Bowey may just have opened up.
The son of former Saint Brett Bowey produced a solid 2019 season for the Sandringham Dragons, averaging 79 Supercoach and 66.9 Fantasy points. The red-headed pocket rocket also averaged just shy of a goal per game.
With dual position status, Bowey could line up further afield for the Demons, as his ability to deliver the ball inside fifty has been described as elite – something Melbourne has severely lacked in the recent past.
Bailey Laurie (DEF/FWD)
SuperCoach price - $117,300
AFL Fantasy price - $228,000
Another in line for the same position is former Oakleigh charger, Bailey Laurie.
The dual position player has impressed onlookers – namely coach Simon Goodwin – this pre-season with his precise skills.
With an eye-catching average of 90 supercoach points for the Nab League Premiers in 2019, even a modicum of this output should see him fare well for the 2% of Fantasy coaches that have taken the plunge of him already.
